Legendary Hollywood actress Lena Horne is being honored during this Black History Month by the U.S.P.S. by issuing a Lena Horne stamp as a part of their Black Heritage series. Ms. Horne, who passed away in 2010, is the 41st person to be celebrated in the Black Heritage stamp series.
Horne was not only an actress but a political actress who fought for the civil rights of African American’s as blacklisted by the industry. Horne worked alongside Eleanor Roosevelt to pass anti-lynching laws and also attended the March On Washington.
“Today, we honor the 70-year career of a true American legend,” said Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman, who led the dedication ceremony for the new Lena Horne stamp in New York City. “With this Forever stamp, the Postal Service celebrates a woman who used her platform as a renowned entertainer to become a prolific voice for civil rights advancement and gender equality.”
During this week's stamp dedication, Lena Horne was honored both as a trailblazer in Hollywood and an important civil rights activist. #LenaHorneForever #BlackHeritageStamps https://t.co/9BnPhW2gPH pic.twitter.com/pDvlyRcKQQ
— U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) February 1, 2018
Speakers at the ceremony included Gail Lumet Buckley, an author and daughter of Lena Horne; Christian Steiner, the photographer who took the image featured on the stamp; and Amy Niles, president and chief executive officer of WBGO, a public radio jazz station in the New York area.
In 1983, the NAACP awarded her the Spingarn Medal.
During her career, Horne earned three Grammys and a Tony award for her one-woman show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music as well as a Kennedy Center Honors. In 2006 she was inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.
